Waiting for Friday

I advised all you 4th year med students not to try to think too hard about where you matched because it will just cause anxiety. However, it’s now Wednesday, and Friday looms ever closer. So I remember that around this time I was getting antsy.

Everyone in the world is playing The Game. (Sometimes narrowed to: “Everybody in the world who knows about The Game is playing The Game”, or alternatively, “You are always playing The Game.”) A person cannot choose to not play The Game; it does not require consent to play and one can never stop playing.

Whenever one thinks about The Game, one loses.

Losses must be announced. This can be verbally, with a phrase such as “I just lost The Game”, or in any other way: for example, via Facebook. Some people may have signals or expressions that remind others of The Game.

Essentially, the object of The Game is to not think about it. If you think about it, you’ve lost.

This is kind of what is happening to all the 4th year med students right now. They are all trying not to think about the Match, but they’ve all lost.

Ok… now what?

What do you mean now what? You’ve done all the things I listed above? Unlikely.

More than likely you’ve looked at all the things above and are just like “meh”. In the grand scheme of things, these activities above pale in comparison to how important Friday’s Match is.

I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong.

It’s only March. You will find out where you matched this Friday and then you will scramble around trying to prepare for probable move. Then there is a the loan exit interview and all this paperwork from your internship. From there you need to find place to live, graduation, moving, and it’s all go-go-go again. Then intern year will start and you will be up to your neck in new responsibility and new stress.

Take these next few days to slow down.

This will be one of the few times in the next 3+ years that you aren’t being pushed or pulled somewhere.